8/16/2007 @ 6:00AM

By The Numbers: Hip Hop Cash Kings

Unlike mainstream pop and rock musicians, who make the bulk of their earnings from record sales and tours, hip-hop’s biggest stars preside over vast entertainment empires. Gurus of branding and cross-promotion, these rappers, producers and MCs run their own record labels, design their own clothing lines, operate bars and restaurants and ink their own licensing deals for everything from booze to books.